Pudgy Passengers Prompts State Ferries Capacity Change

SEATTLE — The Washington state ferry service isn’t going to start turning away hefty passengers, but it has had to reduce the capacity of the nation’s largest ferry system because people have been packing on the pounds.

Coast Guard vessel stability rules that took effect nationwide Dec. 1 raised the estimated weight of the average adult passenger to 185 pounds (84 kilograms) from the previous 160 pounds (73 kilograms), based on population information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.